Man who dragged panhandler with car apologizes in court to victim's mother
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: May 12, 2025 8:45 PM | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
Duba Wario, 22, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing bodily harm
A Calgary man who dragged a woman for about 150 metres as she clung to the side of his car pleaded guilty to dangerous driving Monday and was handed a two-year conditional sentence order.
Duba Wario, 22, will be on house arrest for the first year of his conditional sentence order and a curfew for the second year. He is also banned from driving for two years.
Court heard that Wario, who has cognitive impairment, lives at a supportive living facility in Calgary for young adults experiencing homelessness and addictions.
He receives support from a case worker who was in court on Monday for the plea.
Victim has since died in unrelated circumstances
Wario's victim was a woman named Roan Campsall, a 28-year-old who was experiencing homelessness and drug addiction at the time of the incident. She died in December from circumstances unrelated to her interaction with Wario.
Campsall suffered what prosecutor Dominique Mathurin described as "fairly superficial" injuries to her foot and buttocks during the May 2023 incident.
Details of the crime come from an agreed statement of facts read aloud by Mathurin.
Court of King's Bench Justice Andrea Froese heard that just before 7 p.m. on May 26, 2023, Campsall was panhandling around 16th Avenue and Edmonton Trail N.E. She had an initial interaction with Wario, during which he gave her $2.
Victim clung to car
Campsall and her boyfriend, who was nearby, began walking away from the area when Wario pulled up beside them in his car.
There was an argument and Wario began driving away but Campsall held onto the driver's-side window, according to the agree statement of facts.
She screamed at Wario to stop and later told police she feared falling under the wheels.
Eventually, Campsall, who was by that point barefoot, fell off the side of the car. Her boyfriend called 911 and she was taken to hospital with injuries to her feet and buttocks.
'A lifetime of trauma'
After the incident, Wario became homeless himself and began living in Calgary's shelters.
Defence lawyer Sarah Dover spent much of Monday's hearing giving the court details of her client's upbringing and current circumstances, giving credit to a series of workers who she says are helping Wario "to make sure that this never happens again."
Born in Ethiopia, Wario also lived in Kenya and South Africa before his family was sponsored to come to Canada, Dover told the court.
Once here, Wario developed a significant dependence on alcohol and marijuana as a "relief from a lifetime of trauma," Dover said.
Family violence witnessed
Justice Froese heard that Wario experienced "significant instability" in his home life, often witnessing "significant family violence."
"He is not able to navigate yelling and screaming … it terrifies him," said Dover.
Although he was not intoxicated at the time of the incident, Wario's background made him "extremely ill-equipped to manage the unforecasted moment with this vulnerable person."
After he was charged, Wario began living at the Mustard Seed, a homeless shelter in Calgary.
Despite this, Wario managed to connect "with a series of helpers who would change his life," said Dover.
"Duba was adopted by sober, well-functioning, unhoused people at the Mustard Seed," according to Dover, who said those people brought him to his court appearances and made sure he maintained contact with his lawyer.
'I'm sorry'
He now lives at a home in the southeast that provides support workers, addictions programs, counselling and programming for young adults with complex needs.
Froese heard that Campsall's mother was unhappy to learn that Wario would be receiving a conditional sentence.
When given the chance to speak in court, Wario acknowledged the physical and emotional trauma he caused Campsall and took "full accountability" for his actions.
"I know Roan is not here with us today, rest in peace to her," said Wario, who then addressed the victim's mother.
"I know you really love your daughter. I'm sorry. I know that must really hurt you.… I'll make sure that it will never happen again."